Consumerism
Consumerism: Using coupons to save money
Gina York
ENG102
May 23, 2012
Sarah Giragosian
Consumerism: Using coupons to save money
Consumers face daily struggles. However, many would say that the one thing they struggle with the most is how to find ways to stretch their paycheck enough to cover the bills and put food on the table. In fact, despite having two paychecks coming in, the average American family is still unable to make ends meet. While we can eliminate some things from our daily lives, such as the $5 cup of coffee at the local “Java Joe’s”, we cannot eliminate our daily need for food and basic necessities. Consequently, with the continued downturn in the economy, people have had to become more creative in finding ways to save money. Using coupons to aid in discounting products is widely becoming the method of choice.
Consumers have had to make some very hard decisions based on income and necessities. We have all had to “tighten our belts” and “watch our pennies”. “During these hard economic times, many people are looking for new ways to save money on as many things as possible. Groceries, electric and other utility bills, as well as on other items like diapers and baby care supplies, cleaning supplies and paper products.” (How to Save Money With Grocery Coupons, 1999-2012) Along with the ever present thought of saving and keeping our hard earned dollars in mind, many have returned to the days of our grandmothers, known for saving their pennies. We realize that the economy will most likely not change and so it is time to take matters into our own hands. We must learn to live by a new set of rules and a new way of thinking when spending money and buying brand name items at the store is also no longer an option.
Of course, I’m quite sure we have all heard of coupons, they have been around for years. In fact, your grandmother was most likely using them to save on her own groceries before you were born. While the premise for using these
Gina York
ENG102
May 23, 2012
Sarah Giragosian
Consumerism: Using coupons to save money
Consumers face daily struggles. However, many would say that the one thing they struggle with the most is how to find ways to stretch their paycheck enough to cover the bills and put food on the table. In fact, despite having two paychecks coming in, the average American family is still unable to make ends meet. While we can eliminate some things from our daily lives, such as the $5 cup of coffee at the local “Java Joe’s”, we cannot eliminate our daily need for food and basic necessities. Consequently, with the continued downturn in the economy, people have had to become more creative in finding ways to save money. Using coupons to aid in discounting products is widely becoming the method of choice.
Consumers have had to make some very hard decisions based on income and necessities. We have all had to “tighten our belts” and “watch our pennies”. “During these hard economic times, many people are looking for new ways to save money on as many things as possible. Groceries, electric and other utility bills, as well as on other items like diapers and baby care supplies, cleaning supplies and paper products.” (How to Save Money With Grocery Coupons, 1999-2012) Along with the ever present thought of saving and keeping our hard earned dollars in mind, many have returned to the days of our grandmothers, known for saving their pennies. We realize that the economy will most likely not change and so it is time to take matters into our own hands. We must learn to live by a new set of rules and a new way of thinking when spending money and buying brand name items at the store is also no longer an option.
Of course, I’m quite sure we have all heard of coupons, they have been around for years. In fact, your grandmother was most likely using them to save on her own groceries before you were born. While the premise for using these
References: How to Save Money With Grocery Coupons . (1999-2012). Retrieved from ehow.com: http://www.ehow.com/how_4849073_grocery-coupon-websites-coupon-clipping.html Coupon Queen. (2009, August). Kiplinger 's Personal Finance, 63(8), 65-65. Dictionary. (2012). Retrieved from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/couponer Chain Store Age. (2008, April). Coupon-clicking replaces clipping. 84(4), pp. 90-90. Goff, L. (2005, January). Cut your grocery bill in half. Good Housekeeping, 240(1), pp. 64-68. Laverty, B. (2011). Clip this not that. Retrieved from Clipthisnotthat.com: http://clipthisnotthat.com/extreme-vs-normal-couponing/ Neff, J. (2010, November). Coupon clipping stages a comeback. Advertising Age, 81(39), para. 1 Richard, J. (2011, October 29). Is couponing worth it? Retrieved from technorati.com: http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/is-couponing-worth-it/ Trejos, N. (2008, October 26). Snipping, clipping, scrimping. The Washington Post.